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Mother with terminal breast cancer is determined to leave a legacy for her two girls

Mother-of-two Dawn Wilson has terminal breast cancer. But she is determined to use the knowledge she has gained to leave a legacy for her girls.

Since receiving her terminal diagnosis early last year, 35-year-old Dawn has dedicated her time to raising awareness of her condition.

She has a rare form of the disease known as triple negative breast cancer, which affects around 10% of people with Breast Cancer in the UK. Of those affected, the vast majority are below the age of 40, and in Dawn’s words many of those people will be young parents. This, she says, is her motivation.

I don’t want any other mother to go through the heartache of knowing you are leaving your children behind. So for me, while i am well enough, i have to do this.

– Dawn Wilson

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Her chosen material is the the Know Your Lemons Campaign, and it’s the brainchild of American designer Corrine Beaumont. It shows an image of twelve lemons in an egg box - each one displaying a different sign or symptom of breast cancer.

For the past nine months we have followed Dawn and her family through her attempt to launch the campaign here in Wales. It’s involved meetings with cancer charities; health professionals; and those at the very top of the healthcare sector in Wales. And all of this with one aim in mind - to educate teenagers and young adults about the symptoms of breast cancer and how to spot them.

Wales this Week tells the story of how Dawn had a simple Idea and took it to the very top of Welsh Politics in the hope of rolling out an awareness campaign in schools.